Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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4 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, January 24, 2003 SOUND OFF ONLINE POLL Create message boards at Did you participate in any Martin www.dailygamecock.com or Luther King Jr. Day events? send letters to the editor to Yes, I marched 13% gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com No, I slept 67% Does watching TV count? 20% , IN OUR OPINION Next on TV: ‘Joe President’ Most people could immediately tell you that Simon Cowell is the acerbic judge on “American Idol.” But far fewer, besides a dwindling group of news junkies, could tell you that Condoleezza Rice is the national security adviser. The public seems more concerned with who just got voted off “Survivor” or who the star of “The Bachelorette” plans to take out that night than with what’s going on in Iraq. The banal and increasingly Networks cruel shows that constitute Continue to feed “reality TV” have blurred the the public a daily public’s perceptions of how dose of their the world actually works, version Of reality, When has any woman ever and the public been courted by 25 attractive continues to digest it men at once’or vlce versa— 5 " and somehow picked a soulmate out of the bunch? Networks continue to feed the public a daily dose of their version of reality, and the public continues to digest it. As consumers, we need to determine how far we are willing to let networks take this. What will be the next chapter in the reality TV saga? “Joe President”? Issues that could directly affect USC students, or anyone else, are being overshadowed by Simon’s latest remarks to a fallen contestant. It’s time the American public turn the television to the news — or even turn it off and read a newspaper — and find out what reality “really” is. Gamecock Quotables ncaic iiivauiiig u 04 iui weapons we can’t find — and going to war when we can’t prove there’s any reason to go to war.” THE REV. ALSHARPTON 2004 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL ON INVADING IRAQ “I know it’s kind of sleazy and terrible, but I still watch it.” STEPHANIE PAPAS FIRST-YEAR INTERNATIONAL-STUDIES STUDENT ON REAUTY TV SHOWS u ou uau atiiig iw uc ai and have the opportunity to win a basketball game and not be able to finish it.” SUSAN WALVIUS use WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH ON SUNDAY’S LOSS TO THE GEORGIA BULLDOGS “I think that, tragically, too many teachers in South Carolina are forced to baby-sit, not to teach.” MARK SANFORD GOVERNOR IN HIS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS ON THE NEED TO GIVE TEACHERS MORE AUTHORITY IN THE CLASSROOM GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS A photograph on the front page Wednesday should have been credited to Johnny Haynes. A story in Wednesday’s Sports section should have stated that Kerbrell Brown is a junior, not a freshman. The Gamecock regrets the errors. If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us at gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK Editor in Chief Jill Martin Managing Editor Charles Tomlinson News Editor Adam Beam Asst. News Editor Wendy Jeffcoat Viewpoints Editor Erin O'Neal The Mix Editor Corey Garriott Asst. The Mix Editor Meg Moore Sports Editor Matt Rothenberg Asst. Sports Editor Brad Senkiw Photo Editor Johpny Haynes Asst. Photo Editor Morgan Ford Head Page Designers Sarah McLaulin, Katie Smith, David Stagg Page Designers Justin Bajan, Samantha Hall, Staci Jordan, Julia Knetzer, Shawn Rourk Slot Copy Editors Crystal Boyles, Tricia Ridgway, Emma Ritch Online Editor Bessam Khadraoui Community Affairs Kiran Shah % CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@hotmail.com News: gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Viewpoints: gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com The Mix: gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Sports: gamecocksports@hotmail.com Public Affairs: gckpublicaffairs@hotmail.com Online: www.dailygamecock.com Newsroom: 777-7726 Editor's Office: 777-3914 STUDENT MEDIA Faculty Adviser Erik Collins Director of Student Media Ellen Parsons Creative Director Susan King Business Manager Carolyn Griffin Advertising Manager Sarah Scarborough Classified Manager Sherry F. Holmes Creative Services Derek Goode, Earl Jones, Sean O'Meara, Anastasia Oppert Advertising Staff John Blackshire, Adam Bourgoin, Bianca Knowles, Denise Levereaux, Jacqueline R<ce, Stacey Todd The Gamecock is the editorially independent student newspaper of the University of South Carolina. It is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring semesters and nine times during the summer, with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of the University of South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media is the newspaper's parent organization. The Gamecock is supported in part by student-activity fees. One free copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 each from the Department of Student Media. TO PUCE AN AD The Gamecock Advertising: 777-3888 1400 Greene St. Classified: 777-1184 Columbia, S.C. 29208 Fax: 777-6482 KRC'rcc.ttStt. XWiLDLjFe » ueFOffe CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Snow days let students relax DAVID STAGG GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Missing classes can lead to fun adventures. 9:30 A.M. The phone rings. David weari ly rolls his head sideways, still struck by the fact that he is now awake. He picks up the phone. “Hello?” “Hey, man, it snowed last night. Two inches! Come out side!” the voice echoes. “What are you doing calling me this early?” he replies. “Two freaking inches!” “This is ridiculous. I’m going back to sleep,” he retorts. David slams the phone down and proceeds to roll back over. Five minutes pass. Ten minutes. He knows that any minute now, his two friends, one of whom was the voice on the phone, will be over, snowballs in hand, ready to pummel him as he lies in his warm bed. “I must get up,” David thinks. David slowly rolls out of bed. He checks the Internet to corrob orate his newest thought: “Classes must be canceled.” He moves his mouse. The screen flashes on and, sure enough, he has received a wealth of porno graphic material. He looks out his window. Slowly but surely, every student who attends the school makes his or her way to the Horseshoe. Only then does he realize that there is one thing that could cause this many people to flock to the ’Shoe at this hour: free beer. “There must be beer here somewhere,” he thinks as he dresses himself. 11A.M. David and his two friends are now attempting to build a snow man near the Roger Center. They have already pummeled random strangers with snowballs. David manages to get his hand stuck to his dog’s head, and like any nat ural citizen, tries the age-old sci ence experiment of seeing whether his tongue will stick to a car. The tongue does stick. David feels like Flick from “A Christmas Story,” and looks like him, too: He is as puffy as a marshmallow, his tongue looks like Silly Putty stuck between the car and his mouth, and his words are indecipherable. “Lelllp nee!” he yells in des peration. “Nigh dungnis nuck!” His friends laugh. And point. They point at him. “I laugh at your misfortune,” his friend calls. David begins to hate him with a passion that bums deep within his breast. 3:45 P.M. The day is over too soon. David is with his friends, curled up in a warm room, watching a movie. His mother calls. “Hi, honey! I heard you all didn’t have classes today!” “That’s right,” he replies. “What are you doing now?” she questions. “We’re watching a movie.” “Which one?” “One you wouldn’t like, Mother,” David admits. “David, you know I hate that,” she says. “All right, it’s called ‘Girls Gone Wild,’ ” David jokes. “Oh, well, I guess that’s better than that horror stuff.” “Mom,” David reassures her, “we’re not really watching that. That’s like pom.” “It is? I thought it was like that movie with the little skirts. Oh, what’s it called?” “ ‘Bring It On’?” “Yeah, that’s the one.” Stagg is a second-year media arts student. IN YOUR OPINION Organic-food shops foster community This letter is in response to the recent article profiling Earthfare and the natural-foods industry (“A growing de mand,” Jan. 15). Although I feel that organic and natural food should gain more attention from consumers, I do not feel that one article should be de voted only to Earthfare. The natural and organic food “movement,” beginning in the early ’80s, not only focused on nutritious, safe and healthy foods, but it also focused on re turning to the independent gro cer, which helps to foster a greater sense of community. Earthfare, a large corpora tion, is rather new to the natu ral-foods movement. mere are local stores, sucn as Rosewood Market and 14 Carott, that have not only been catering to Columbia's natural food needs for decades, but also are locally and independently owned businesses. Caitlin Coker's attention to only Earthfare is similar to having an article on do-it-your self home improvements but only focusing on Lowe's or Home Depot. As an employee of Rosewood Market, I know that we buy nearly 30 advertisement spaces in The Gamecock each semester, as well as contribute to many USC fund-raisers and events. We find it quite dis graceful for us to be left out of an article done on the natural foods industry in Columbia. Let’s try not to focus on all the Wal-Marts of Columbia, and start paying more atten tion to the m^m-and-pop shops. AUTUMN PERKINS GRADUATE TEACHING STUDENT Being ‘crazy’ isn’t a personal choice As a graduate of USC’s dual master’s program in public health and social work, and someone who has experienced therapy, I must respond to Shanna Reed’s column (“Some people are just crazy,” Jan. 17) to address some of the fallacies I read. If your therapist is simply nodding and writing notes with out adding any insight to what you’re saying, please find an other. The therapist Reed de scribed is not doing his job. What some don’t realize, how ever, is that it’s not your thera pist’s job to give advice. Therapists are there to help you solve your problems by offering insight as to why you’re dealing with certain problems and bv helping you decide how you might approach solving them. They aren’t there to tell you how to live your life; at least, the good ones aren’t. If your therapist is merely feeding you advice, you should probably find a new one. If you decide to try therapy, it’s up to you to get therapist refer rals from trusted sources; don’t just rely on the phone book. Also, psychotropic medica tions are not happy pills. Most aren’t addictive. Many have vastly improved the lives of people who otherwise might not have survived their mental illnesses. I’ll agree that it seems like a lot of people are on drugs nowa days. Maybe some of them don’t need to be; but as a public health professional, I know that depression is a legitimate and painful illness for which two thirds of sufferers never ^eek treatment. I’ve experienced it first hand and wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Maybe therapy and medication seem like crutches or cop-outs to some, but having access to safe, effective treatment is no laughing matter to those who truly need it. JENNY TOLLEY CROSSEN 2002 USC GRADUATE Article shows Gothic culture in poor light The article about the Gothic scene (“Gothics gather in Victor ian-era lingerie for Elysium,” Jan. 13) was written in a bad view of what it is about. It is especially wrong when some one as nice as Pet Balbuer offers to show you around and explain things and then it is written up as more of a joke than as a culture that is taken seriously by many. Beiore wnung an ai ucie aooui a culture, some research and un derstanding should be taken into consideration. The funny thing about the arti cle is that the Gothic community takes any information given to the masses — good or bad—as a way to let others know it is here. So please come to another event, observe, learn and even participate, but please don’t condemn some thing that you don’t understand or that your beliefs might be against. Good words to go by: “If you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” DANA SWEENEY TH1RD-YEAR CRIMINAL-JUSTICE STUDENT Submission Policy Letters to the editor should be less than 300 words and include name, phone number, professional title or year and major, if a student. E-mail letters to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. ^ Letters will be edited. Anonymous letters will not be published. Call the newsroom at 777-7726 for more information. Agree to disagree about the flag BEN EDWARDS gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com Old issue haunts the new administration. South Carolina remains polar ized over the flying of the Confederate flag on State House grounds. For evidence, look no further than the minor contro versy that marred Gov. Mark Sanford’s inaugural. The Rev. Joe Darby, an NAACP leader from Charleston, gave the inaugural prayer even though Sanford’s political colleagues pub licly protested his selection. For his part, Darby has vowed to sup port tne economic Doycott until the Confederate flag no longer flies on State House grounds. State Sen. John Courson (R Richland), an ardent supporter of flying the Confederate flag, called for Darby’s removal by arguing, “I think it is inappropriate for someone who is basically calling for economic terrorism on South Carolina, as we come out of this recession, to be on this inaugural program.” His remarks essentially label Darby and other members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as terrorists. In a time when our nation fights a war against ter rorism around the world, Courson appears to be trying to group Darby and the NAACP in the same category as the fanatics who attacked the United States on Sept. 11,2001. wnat an ugiy ming to say. i can’t remember ever being ter rorized by an NAACP boycott or any other boycott. If boycotts equate to terrorism, then George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere were all terrorists because they all supported and led boycotts. Although criticizing the min ister selected to give the prayer at Sanford’s inauguration is trivial at best, it does demonstrate the unwillingness of Courson and oth er members of the state Legislature to respect their gov ernor’s decisions. State Senate President Pro Tern Glenn McConnell more tact fully criticized the selection of Darby by saying he was a poor choice because of his stance on the economic boycott. Their com plaints serve no constructive pur pose and only illustrate the diffi culty that Gov. Sanford will have in dealing with his fellow Republicans. Although Mark Sanford is a Republican, he demonstrated his comm itment to be a govemor for all of South Carolina’s people by selecting Darby. Sanford makes decisions according to his beliefs instead of listening to the dictates of party leaders such as Courson and McConnell. These minor squabbles are sure to continue be cause Sanford will continue to do what he sees as right instead of what he thinks is politically ex pedient. I hope Sanford’s administra tion will not entangle itself with the divisive issue of what to do with the Confederate flag. The controversy has raged long enough. It takes attention away from issues that matter more in promoting the quality of life for South Carolinians in real terms. Getting wrapped up in the Confederate flag will lead only to controversy and inefficiency in governing South Carolina. Neither side is likely to compro mise further, and things will probably remain as they are. Darby said it best himself: “South Carolinians can disagree and still be South Carolinians.” -1-} Edwards is a fourth-year philosophy student.